STICKING WITH THE UNION

Build solidarity for striking postal workers

by Carolyn Egan

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is engaged in an historic battle with Canada Post, and in the first major confrontation with the Harper majority government.

Rotating strikes have begun across the country as postal workers fight back against a concession contract. There have already been support rallies in Ottawa and other areas of the country.

This solidarity is critical.

One of the key issues is a two-tiered wage for new hires. A significant number of the present work force is due to retire in the next few years and management is trying to significantly reduce costs by reducing wages and benefits for new employees.

Youth unemployment is high in this country and under employment even higher. Everyone has stories of young people graduating from high school, college and even university living in their parents’ basements because they cannot find a decent job.

Equality

CUPW has always fought for equality in the workplace having struck for 42 days in 1981 for paid maternity leave, which was a milestone for women’s rights in this country.

It was one of the first unions that negotiated anti-discrimination language for LGBTQ members. It has taken a strong position against Israeli apartheid and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The workers who are now fighting back against Canada Post are standing up for a younger generation of workers who they believe deserve the same rights in the work place, the same wages and the same retirement benefits.

This attack on young workers is not isolated to Canada Post. We have seen the claw back of the defined benefit pension plan for new hires in the long strike at Vale Inco in Sudbury. Steelworkers have been locked out since November 2010 at US Steel in Hamilton over the same issue as well, along with the de-indexing of pensions for retirees. Those USW members were out on the CUPW picket lines when they struck in Hamilton.

This is part-and-parcel of the austerity agenda and the attack on the public sector that is happening worldwide.

The Harper government made it very clear in its recent budget that it intends to cut government spending by $4 billion every year until the deficit is gone. These cuts will have devastating effects on programs and jobs.

Harper also intends to cut the federal public service by a third.

Canada Post is a profit-making corporation having made $281 million in 2009, the last year it has given figures for. Yet it is attempting to cut costs through reduced sick leave provisions, attacks on new hires’ wages and retirement benefits.

Through its “modern post” initiative it has greatly increased workplace injuries in the name of “efficiencies.”

Ongoing harassment of postal workers by management is well known and the corporation is trying to demonize these workers in the press by pitting the union against small business and all those who depend upon the mail. This is a tried and true method of divide and rule.

Build solidarity

All of us have to stand with the postal workers in this battle, which will have consequences for the working class and the poor across the country.

There are petitions that are circulating and window signs to put up. People are rallying and leafleting to show their support.

When picket lines are up in your town or city, be sure to go out to show your solidarity.
We can win this strike against the “austerity agenda” if we mobilize together to do so.